Jackets And No. 14 Canes Tangle Saturday In Miami

Sept. 30, 2013

Jackets And No. 14 Canes Tangle In Miami
• Georgia Tech begins a stretch of three of its next four on the road Saturday when the Yellow Jackets travel to No. 14/14 Miami for a 3:30 p.m. tilt at Sun Life Stadium.
• Tech is looking to bounce back after having its six-game ACC winning streak snapped last Thursday night, while the Hurricanes — the preseason pick to win the Coastal — open their conference schedule.
• The game can be seen nationally on ESPNU with Anish Shroff, Kelly Stouffer and Niki Noto.
• On the radio, “Voice of the Yellow Jackets” Brandon Gaudin has the call on the Georgia Tech IMG Sports Network along with analyst Rick Strom and sideline reporter Randy Waters. The game can be heard on WYAY 106.7 FM in Atlanta and on the web at RamblinWreck.com.

Quick Hitters
• Georgia Tech’s game at Miami caps a stretch of playing four consecutive Coastal Division foes and the Jackets will play just two divisional games over the final eight weeks of the season.
• Tech is on the road for back-to-back weeks the only time this season and will log nearly 5,000 miles over the next two weeks — at Miami and at BYU.
• Tech’s defense has yielded just 10 second-half points over the last six games, dating back to 2012.
• Conversely, the offense has scored at least seven points in 15 of the last 19 quarters dating back to 2012.
• Georgia Tech opponents have had 46 offensive possessions that have resulted in 51 points for an average of just 1.11 points per possession.
• Tech is 8-4 in its last 12 games overall dating back to last season.
• This is the fourth straight week the Jackets are facing a team playing its ACC opener.
• Tech ranks 10th nationally in rushing (291.3 yards/game) and senior B-back David Sims is 10th in the ACC in rushing (62.0 yards/game). Sims’ five touchdowns (four rushing) are third-most in the ACC.
• Offensively, the Ramblin’ Wreck ranks second in yards per completion (19.38), fifth in third-down percentage (.589) and eighth in time of possession (34:29).
• The Yellow Jacket defense ranks in the top 15 nationally in scoring defense (t-8th), red-zone defense (t-9th), total defense (9th), first downs defense (10th) and rushing defense (11th).
• Head coach Paul Johnson picked up his 150th career win on Sept. 21 versus UNC. Johnson is 150-66 in 17 years as a head coach and only nine active FBS coaches own more career wins.
• Vad Lee, a dual-threat sophomore QB and a one-time ACC Offensive Back of the Week winner, is responsible for 10 of Tech’s 19 offensive TDs this year (seven passing, three rushing).
• Senior A-back and former walk-on Robert Godhigh, who stands just 5-foot-7 and weighs 190 pounds, is third in the ACC with his 9.9 yards per play average.
• Since ACC divisional play began in 2005, Georgia Tech is 27-16 vs. Coastal Division opponents. Under Paul Johnson, Tech is 16-12 vs. Coastal opponents.
• The Yellow Jackets have rushed for more yards than any FBS team since 2008, and in 2012, Tech surpassed the 20,000-yard rushing mark for the five-year period under head coach Paul Johnson.
• Georgia Tech is celebrating the 100th anniversary of Historic Grant Field in 2013. It is the most tenured stadium in the FBS and listed by ESPN.com as a bucket-list item for college fans.

The Miami Series
• Georgia Tech leads the all-time series, 10-8.
• Miami has won the last four meetings, including a 42-36 win in overtime last season in Atlanta.
• The Hurricanes hold a 3-2 series edge in games played in Miami, including a 2-0 mark at Sun Life Stadium.
• Georgia Tech is actually 0-3 in Sun Life Stadium, including a loss to Iowa in the FedEx Orange Bowl following the 2009 season.
• Tech is 8-4 against the Hurricanes in Bobby Dodd Stadium, although Miami has won the last two in Atlanta.
• The Jackets’ last win in the series came in 2008, a 41-23 victory over the 23rd-ranked `Canes. Tech’s last road win in the series came in 2007, a 17-14 Yellow Jacket win at the old Orange Bowl Stadium.
• Since Miami joined the ACC, the Hurricanes hold a 5-4 series lead.
• The Jackets and Hurricanes met in the postseason following the 1999 season, a 28-13 Miami victory in the Gator Bowl.
• The two teams first met in 1955 — a 14-6 Tech victory.
• Between 1979 and 1999 the Jackets and `Canes went 21 years without meeting on the gridiron.
• Georgia Tech head coach Paul Johnson is 1-4 all-time vs. Miami.